Telecom operators have stated that the 1GB data plans were discontinued after evaluating user preferences. One operator also noted the plan’s removal was based on market conditions, clarifying that some discontinued packs remain available through offline stores. Another provider discontinued its ₹249 plan, citing a strategic decision to enhance customer value based on market dynamics. To help customers choose better options, here are some affordable plans:

Jio’s ₹1,799 plan offers 84 days of validity, including 3GB of daily data. Plans with 2GB or more daily data include unlimited 5G access. The pack provides 100 SMS per day, unlimited calls across all networks, a Netflix Basic subscription, and access to JioTV. As part of its 9th-anniversary offers, users also receive a 2-month trial of Jio Home and an extra 2% on Jio Gold.

Vodafone Idea’s ₹1,749 plan provides 1.5GB of daily data, plus an additional 30GB of separate data valid for 45 days, exceeding the daily cap. The plan includes 100 SMS per day and offers 100 days more validity than Jio’s plan. Users also benefit from the ‘Binge All Night’ feature and weekend data rollover. However, Vi’s plans do not include OTT subscriptions, unlike Jio’s offering.

Fraudsters typically send promotional messages from banks, government agencies, telecom operators, or e-commerce companies. Cybercriminals create counterfeit messages that mimic these, often containing links that, when clicked, can introduce malware or viruses into your phone. These threats can steal your personal data, banking details, and passwords, subsequently used to withdraw funds from your account.

TRAI has introduced a system for identifying SMS messages. Authentic messages now include a sender ID with a suffix:

* **S**: This code indicates messages related to banking, telecom services, or transactions.
* **G**: This is for messages related to government schemes or alerts.
* **P**: This code is used for promotional messages sent by companies whitelisted by TRAI.

Understanding these codes allows you to quickly determine if an SMS is genuine or fake. It’s wise to avoid clicking on any message that arrives without these codes or includes suspicious links.

The coverage maps offer a variety of user-friendly features for easy accessibility and navigation with standard colour scheme.

It also provides the option to see the coverage of specific technology like 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G offered by respective TSP in their area of interest.

Users can use search options or enable location on their device to navigate to their current location. The toggle switch or technology selection button may be used to select coverage maps of technology of their interest, according to the Ministry of Communications.

The TRAI regulations mandates that “Every service provider providing access service (wireless) shall publish on its website the service wise geospatial coverage maps in such a manner and format, as may be directed by the Authority from time to time, for the geographical areas where wireless voice or wireless broadband service is available for subscription by consumers.”

As per the regulations, the publication of mobile network coverage map was to be completed by April 1, 2025.

To enable easy user access, these links of mobile coverage maps have been consolidated on TRAI website. The coverage maps of different service providers can also be accessed on TRAI website.

“The mobile subscribers may share their feedback or report any major discrepancy in coverage representation with their service provider through user feedback feature available on coverage maps. However, users may kindly note that actual mobile coverage experience may sometime vary from the coverage shown in map, including in indoor areas, as it depends upon various dynamic parameters,” according to TRAI.

The mobile network coverage maps are not only useful for subscribers but also provide status of telecom coverage across the country which can be used by different stakeholders for planning and rollout of e-enabled initiatives.

These maps may also be used for data driven evaluation of requirements of any regulatory or policy intervention.

“There have been several Media Reports in the recent times that the Consumers are being targeted through telephonic calls or messages by fraudsters posing as TRAI officials threatening disconnection of Mobile Connection for being involved in illegal activities and for extraction of money,” Ministry of Communications said.

In this regard, it is informed that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) does not initiate communication with Customers regarding Mobile Number disconnection through messages or otherwise. TRAI has also not authorized any third-party Agency to contact Customers for such purposes. Therefore, any form of communication (call, message, or notice) claiming to be from TRAI and threatening Mobile Number disconnection should be considered a potential fraudulent attempt and must not be entertained.

The disconnection of any Mobile Number due to Billing, KYC or misuse if any, is done by the respective Telecom Service Provider (TSP). Citizens are advised to be vigilant and do not get panicked to fall prey to suspected Fraudsters. They are further advised to cross-verify such Calls by contacting the authorized Call Centres or Customer Service Centres of the respective TSP.

To prevent the misuse of Telecom Resources for Cybercrime and Financial Fraud, Citizens are encouraged to report suspected fraudulent communications through the Chakshu facility on the Department of Telecommunications Sanchar Saathi platform. This platform can be accessed at https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/. For confirmed instances of Cybercrime, victims should report the incident at the designated Cybercrime helpline number ‘1930’ or through the official website at https://cybercrime.gov.in/.

Recently it has been observed that large number of spam calls are being originated from telecom identifiers like numbers starting from 0731, 079,080 etc by misusing PRIs, Lease Line, Internet Lease Lines, SIP and IPLC. Citizens, under the Jan Bhagidari , have been reporting such instances of Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) / spam / fraud call  on  Chakshu module of Sanchar Saathi.

DoT analyses this crowd sourced data to act against such telecom resources. Identified cases are forwarded to the DoT’s field offices Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) for detailed investigation. In instances where violations are confirmed, telecom services are suspended for those engaging in unauthorized promotional activities.

Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have been advised to take immediate necessary steps to ensure the scruples  compliance of  Unified License conditions relating to the curbing the misuse of PRIs including SIP trunks, Lease Line, Internet Lease Lines, IPLC  etc. , and to regularly check for their bonafide use .

Call to Action for Enterprises/Bulk customers:

The DoT calls on Enterprises/Bulk customers/ Consumers to ensure their telecom services are used in compliance with established regulations, avoiding any misuse for unsolicited commercial communication. Violations could result in severe penalties, including disconnection of services.

Additionally, the DoT encourages citizens to continue reporting spam calls through the Chakshu module of Sanchar Saathi(www.sancharsaathi.gov.in), fostering a collaborative effort to make telecom services more secure and user-friendly. The Department remains dedicated to strict monitoring and prompt action against UCC violators to protect consumer interests.

Citizens can use Sanchar Sathi App to report misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and cyber frauds, Ministry of Communications said. 

Earlier, DoT, through a reference dated 07.12.2021 under Section 11 (1) (a) of the TRAl Act, 1997, requested TRAI to provide recommendations on allowing sharing of core network elements such as MSC, HLR, IN etc., among telecom operators. Subsequently, DoT, through a reference dated 10.02.2022, mentioning its earlier reference dated 07.12.2021, informed that “to promote optimum resource utilization among the licensees, it is proposed to allow sharing of all kinds of telecom infrastructure and network elements among all categories of service providers licensed under the Section 4 of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 for provision of authorized telecom services”, and requested TRAI to provide recommendations on the subject.

Considering the request of stakeholders to permit inter-band spectrum sharing and leasing of spectrum in the country, the Authority decided to take up the issues related to spectrum sharing and spectrum leasing along with the issues related to infrastructure sharing in the stakeholders’ consultation.

After a comprehensive consultation with stakeholders, TRAI sent its recommendations on ‘Telecommunication Infrastructure Sharing, Spectrum Sharing, and Spectrum Leasing’ to DoT on 24.04.2024.

Subsequently, DoT, through a back-reference dated 13.02.2025, informed TRAI that as per Section 11(1) of the TRAI Act 1997 (as amended), such recommendations on ‘Telecommunication Infrastructure Sharing, Spectrum Sharing, and Spectrum Leasing’ dated 24.04.2024, where the Government has reached a prima-facie conclusion that these recommendations may not be accepted or may need modification are being referred back to TRAI for its reconsideration.

In this regard, after a careful examination, TRAI has sent its response to the back-reference to DoT. TRAI’s response to the back-reference has also been placed on the TRAI’s website (www.trai.gov.in).

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced amendments to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018 that aim to deal with evolving methods of misuse of telecom resource and promote a more transparent commercial communication ecosystem for consumers.

“A financial disincentive (FD) of Rs 2 lakh for first instance of violation, Rs 5 lakh for second instance of violation and Rs 10 lakh per instance for subsequent instances of violation, shall be imposed on access providers in case of misreporting of the count of UCC,” said TRAI.

These FDs shall be imposed separately for registered and unregistered senders. Moreover, these FDs will be in addition to the FD imposed on access providers against invalid closure of complaints, and not fulfilling their obligations in respect of registration of Message Headers and Content Templates, said the telecom regulator.

The amendments aim that the legitimate commercial communication occur through registered entities, based on the preference and consent of the customers, thereby, balancing the interests of consumers with the need for supporting legitimate economic activities in the country, according to the Ministry of Telecommunications.

Consumers will now be able to make complaint against spam (UCC) calls and messages sent by unregistered senders without the need of first registering their preferences for blocking or receiving commercial communications.

“To make the complaint process simpler and more effective, it has been mandated that if a complaint made by a customer contains bare minimum essential data such as number of the complainant, number of Sender from which the Spam/UCC has been received, date on which spam is received and a brief about the UCC Voice Call/Message, the complaint shall be treated as a valid complaint,” according to revised norms.

Further, a customer can now make a complaint about spam/ UCC within 7 days of receiving spam as compared to earlier 3-day time limit.

“Time limit for taking action by the access providers against the UCC from unregistered senders has been reduced from 30 days to5 days. To ensure prompt action against the senders of UCC, the criterion for taking action against them has been revised and made more stringent,” said TRAI. 

As compared to earlier criterion of ‘having 10 complaints against the sender in last 7 days’ to trigger action, it has been modified to “having 5 complaints against the sender in last 10 days’. 

This would enable faster action and at the same time, covering more number of spammers, according to the regulator.

The revised regulations will enable TRAI in safeguarding consumer interests while promoting a more secure and trusted digital communication environment.

“Good news for people keeping more than 1 SIM card. Now, a SIM card which has not been recharged, will remain valid for 90 days from last recharge. The new rules have been announced by TRAI. The new rules are aimed at easing the burden on customers who have to keep recharging their SIM regularly,” said the viral message

Busting the fake message, The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has confirmed that the above claim is fake.

PIB Fact check has tweeted, “A news article circulating on social media claims that TRAI has issued new guidelines regarding SIM cards being valid for 90 days even if not recharged.”

सोशल मीडिया पर प्रसारित एक समाचार आलेख में दावा किया गया है कि ट्राई ने रिचार्ज नहीं करने पर भी 90 दिनों तक वैध रहने वाले सिम कार्ड के संबंध में नए दिशानिर्देश जारी किए हैं।#PIBFactCheck

✔️यह दावा भ्रामक है pic.twitter.com/C38KnziT0q

How to get messages fact-checked by PIB

If you get any such suspicious message, you can always know its authenticity and check if the news is for real or it is a fake news. For that, you need to send the message to https://factcheck.pib.gov.in. Alternatively you can send a WhatsApp message to +918799711259 for fact check. You can also send your message to pibfactcheck@gmail.com. The fact check information is also available on https://pib.gov.in.